Discretisation design strategies: strategies to integrate design and fabrication through discretization

In the present paper, we introduce a classification system, for discretisation strategies, based on the procedural differences. This paper has a particular focus on strategies explicitly positioned towards an integration between digital design, robotic fabrication and robotic assembly. In the first step, the paper introduces and analyses previous methods from the literature and built case studies and proposes a classification for discretisation approaches. This classification is based on three basic designing strategies: Top-Down, Bottom-Up and Hybrid, in a parametric design manner. The second step defines a general parametric framework for each approach based on the classification analysis. Due to the specifications and functions, these approaches can be synced and combined with other parametric design tactics, such as panelising, subdivision, or generative design. We describe and analyse the possibilities of connecting other parametric features with our discretisation definitions in each category. In the end, this paper introduces several alternative implementation avenues for each category, including a logical design strategy, without considering any specific software or tool.